


Two Wrongs

by Remembertherandler, Valvenaut



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Married Couple, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:06:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remembertherandler/pseuds/Remembertherandler, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valvenaut/pseuds/Valvenaut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s late. Link has been awaiting the return of his husband.<br/>When Rhett finally arrives, he’s not the Rhett that Link knows and loves.</p><p>(Married Rhett and Link AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Where have you been?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **AO3... make a support author setting. Please? - RTR**  
>  **  
> **  
> _This is Valvenaut's story... I just offer support and editing. She insists on co-author._  
>   
> 

Link stood up panting, his head in his hands and eyes wide open. He gave a quick glance at the clock on the wall, for what appeared to be the millionth time that night.

**4:30 AM**

Link whined, shrugging uncomfortably as he looked into the living room, at the couch where he had left his cell phone just moments before, and reached for it hastily. _Where are you?_

He passed his finger over the screen, Rhett’s contact appeared. **_Twenty-six calls_**. The number enclosed between two parentheses after the last ’t’ of his name, sent a shiver down Link’s spine. _Answer me._

Link brought the phone to his ear. He was trembling and used both hands to support the shaking device. His legs were unsteady and the steps that led him to the kitchen were uncoordinated and anxious. He pushed the curtain aside with the back of his hand, looking out into the driveway. It was empty, still awaiting the arrival of a familiar vehicle. _Answer me, dammit!_

He called again, but the phone kept ringing until the voice mail picked up. Link gripped the phone firmly; he could feel the cold metal dig into the palm of his hand. “Fuck!” He screamed, punching the steel sink. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Every fiber that made up his body was vibrating, every word echoed back out of the metal basin, ringing in his ears.

He looked down, the glass screen of his phone was now adorned with a small crack. _If something happened to you…_ Overwhelmed with worry, he was unfazed by the damage; the whole thing could have crumbled in his fist for all he cared. _God, I do not know what I would do…_

He tried the unresponsive number once more, hearing the phone ringing and again, going unanswered. The pre-recorded message teased him with the voice that he longed to hear pick-up on the other end. Rhett’s baritone voice was always heavy and smooth like honey, soothing and warm.

Link’s frustration and fear roiled to the surface. He could no longer pace the rooms of their home, simply waiting. I have to go find him.

_I should’ve stopped you._ Link darted toward the front door, grabbing the house keys from the entry table and nervously tucking his cell phone into his pocket. _I should’ve stopped you before you could go out._ He dwelled on what he was beginning to fear may have been the last conversation he was to share with his husband.

~ * ~

Rhett stood, leaning against the wall, his face illuminated by the blue glow of his phone screen. “I’m going out for a bit.” He said cheerfully “If that’s alright.” He added with a small wink.

Link sat on the couch looking over at his leaning giant. He rolled his eyes at Rhett’s obvious attempt at banter. _Smartass._ He thought about engaging in Rhett’s games but simply sighed, shaking his head. “Where are you going?” He asked.

Rhett moved across the room and settled on the couch, wrapping his arm over Link’s shoulder. “An old pal is in town,” He leaned closer, pressing his cheek to the top of Link’s head, “I was going to grab a drink with him.” He squeezed the ball of Link’s shoulder between his fingers. 

Link smiled, closing his eyes, soaking in the tender moment. “As much as I want you to stay,” He opened his eyes, turning to face Rhett, “that sounds like a nice time.” He sighed, watching Rhett’s eyes flicker with love.

Rhett grinned widely. “I won’t be gone long, I’ll be back by eleven, don’t worry.” He pressed a firm kiss to Link’s forehead, rose from the couch and walked out into the night.

~ * ~

Link stepped out into the cold air. It flowed over his anxiety-flushed features. He shuddered but refused to go back into the house to collect his jacket. He walked down into the driveway trembling with anger and fear, all amplified by the cold. He took a few uncertain steps, his eyes seeking any sign in the distance. He thought about the direction to take to find Rhett but, his head was a tangle of possibilities and even more devastating, an uncertain future. _What if… what if you…?_.

He clasped his hands across his body. His thoughts were enough to shake him to his core, leaving him panting and crouching on the hard pavement, his head pressed down on his knees and his hands still grabbing desperately at his shoulders, trying to comfort himself. Tears began to flow through the furrows on his face, falling on the asphalt at his feet.

Link began to lose himself, falling away from reality, when the sound of a car sent a jolt through his quivering frame, frightening him. He stood quickly and a small gasp passed through his lips. He saw a familiar car approaching the driveway. _Rhett?_

The vehicle pulled in and slowed to a stop in front of the garage.

Link walked briskly, his eyes wide, almost in disbelief, as if he were already convinced that Rhett was dead and he was seeing a ghost.

Rhett climbed out of the car, a neutral expression on his face, almost quiet, a gloominess painted his normally bright and expressive features. 

Link continued his determined march, fists clenched, and adrenaline running at a fever pitch through his veins.

Rhett sensed Link’s hurried approach, but did not lift his gaze from the pavement.

“Where have you been?” He asked with a sob, his voice broken and sharp, almost hysterical.

The force and tone of Link’s voice drew Rhett’s eyes, out of habit his gaze fell on Link’s glassy blues, for only a fleeting second before he looked away, at anything but. 

If Link had not been so relieved and desperate he probably would have noticed the numb expression on her husband’s face. “Rhett! Answer me!” Link called out, the force of his words echoed back through the quiet night air.

Rhett drew his index finger to his lips. “Sshhh.” He closed the car door, passed by the fuming and trembling man in front of him, walking to the front door.

“Rhett, don’t just walk away…” Link followed him tripping over his still trembling steps “Where the hell have you been?!” Link screamed, his fists clenched as he followed Rhett over the threshold and through the front door. Slowly the desperation confusion gave way to anger, he slammed the door, not caring about the late hour or that the neighbors had probably heard him.

“Link don’t… it’s late…” Rhett dismissed, throwing his jacket on the couch and heading for the stairs, taking calm but firm steps. His darkened tone hiding even darker emotions.

Link was still too shocked to be able to see them.

“It’s late?!” Link scoffed. “I know it’s fucking late! ” He yelled chasing Rhett up the stairs. He reached for him, grabbing Rhett’s arm and forcing him to turn around. Link stared into his eyes and his anger slowly faded. 

Rhett’s eyes were hooded, shielded, mysterious and guarded.

Link could feel that Rhett was trying to hide, shelter feelings that he did not want to express. Link frowned and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He reached for his husband’s face, but Rhett tipped his head away and continued up the stairs. _Why are you running away?_

Rhett passed through their home, making his way into the bedroom. He stood, looking out the large window into the dreary night. He kicked off his shoes as if nothing wrong, preparing to go to sleep.

Link had followed him through the house, bewildered by Rhett’s silence. He stood in the doorway watching Rhett, leaning against the doorframe, suddenly weak and tired after the adrenaline had abandoned his body.

Rhett didn’t turn around. He fingers freed the buttons of his shirt and he laid it on the chair. He stood still and silent in his tight, white undershirt. He finally turned to the door, his eyes directed at Link’s feet, afraid to look up, afraid to look into Link’s tremendously beautiful blue eyes.

“Rhett … Rhett what happened to you? Tell me … “Link said in a near whispery voice. He walked slowly to Rhett, who stood motionless, staring at the floor. Link tipped his head, grimacing with worry. He lifted Rhett’s chin with a finger seeking his eyes, his reassuring smile but, found Rhett’s face sullen, expressionless, a mere shadow of the man he knew.

Link slid his hand across the other man’s chest, feeling the drumming heart under his hand skip a beat. He could feel and see that the rise and fall of his ribs was not quite regular.

Rhett cautiously took Link’s hand, to move it away. His grip was weak, as if he was touching something too fragile, as if he had never touched Link before. "Go to sleep.” He said apathetically. 

_No._ Link grabbed the hand that had just dodged his and squeezed it, bringing it to his mouth, laying kisses into Rhett’s large palm and then to the back of the fingers. He looked straight into his husband’s eyes with a hint of a smile. _You’re alive, that’s all that matters._

Rhett turned his face away, biting at his lower lip

Link had forgotten the worry, the anger and fear. He was with Rhett and suddenly aware that his every catastrophic thought had not come to pass. Link took Rhett’s hand in his own and placed it against his chest, his heart. “I’ve felt like dying, I was damn worried!”

Rhett inhaled slowly, his eyes still not meeting Link’s.

Where have you–” Suddenly, a detail caught his attention. Caressing Rhett’s fingers he felt a difference, a crucial difference. On the finger where usually he could feel the smooth metallic surface of Rhett’s wedding ring there was now a hollow rut. Link looked down seeing the thin red line that encircled Rhett’s finger instead of the gold ring.

Rhett felt the knowing caress and finally turned his head, looking down at Link’s dark hair

Link tipped his head, capturing Rhett’s gaze for only a moment before Rhett lowered his to the floor once more. “Where’s the ring?” Link asked in a whisper.

Rhett never took off the ring, he was the first to complain about Link’s habit of removing his own to fiddle and play with it when he was lost in thought.

Link swallowed hard. Desperate thoughts began to work their way through his weary mind. He took a deep breath, letting go of Rhett’s hand, letting his own fall limply to his side. A hint of panic began to materialize in his chest, his throat began to close, and his limbs stiffened.

Rhett stepped past him walked away, without even a glance, heading towards the bathroom.

Link’s alarm was building but his panic gave way to determination. His body quivered and quaked. “Rhett, where is your ring?” He asked, trying to be firm but, his voice broken and trembling as he strode to reach his husband in the bathroom.

“I took it off.” Rhett said, plainly. He was leaning against the sink with both hands, staring down into the black hole of the sink drain.

Rhett’s words stung. Link could feel Rhett’s masked feelings in each and every syllable; his words were rife with anxiety and resentment but, in that moment, Link was unconcerned with Rhett’s feelings. He needed answers, he needed to know why the loving and joyful man that had left him only mere hours ago, could be so distant and cold. _Why are you being like this?_

Rhett tightened his grip on the edge of the vanity, his knuckles whitening.

Link’s eyes blew wide, doubt and fear flooded through him. A question flashed in his mind, a question he was not sure he was ready to hear Rhett answer.

Link took rapid breaths trying to gather the strength to speak the words. “Did you cheat on me?” The question spilled from his lips as a sob.

Rhett’s body stiffened.

Link swallowed, waiting for an answer, his head spinning and ears ringing. _Please no._ He stepped forward resting his back on the wall.

Rhett turned to look at him, the first real eye contact that he had offered his husband since he had arrived home. His face was not that of a guilty man he wore a neutral, apathetic look.

Seeing Rhett’s cold stare, Link’s lungs heavy with the weight of the air, and his heart sank. The warmth he usually found in the features before him were like a distant memory.

Rhett saw fear in the Link’s eyes, an indescribable fear, one that he’d only ever seen grace Link’s delicate features a few times in the past. He fixed his gaze back into the sink. He turned on the water, wetting his hands and bringing them to the face before turning back to Link. “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you for reading this first chapter! *hugs*  
> This is my first Rhink fiction ever and english is not my mother tongue, but luckily I know that amazing girl and writer that is Remembertherandler, that helped and supported me all the time, editing my first draft *purr for her*.  
> I hope you'd like to continue reading this angsty thing also in the next chapter, and that you won't chase me with torches and pitchforks after this first chapter... 
> 
> Thank you again! 
> 
> (If you want, comments and Kudos are really appreciated.)
> 
> Valve ♡


	2. “How could I?”

Link stood motionless staring into his husband’s numb eyes. A fire was building inside of him, beginning to rage out of control. _I hate you._

Rhett rubbed the water from his beard, continuing to avoid the stare that was burning through him.

Link tried to gather enough words to express his complicated feelings of betrayal, abandonment, pain, and anger. He was dying inside. He opened his mouth for a moment, feeling the words trying to escape his throat, before closing it. He feared what might escape. His upper lip trembled as he dropped his gaze to the floor, free of the image of Rhett’s hunched frame, he was able to gather the strength to speak.

“You – ” The words stopped in his throat, his anger needed an escape, he felt like he was ready to explode. He parted his lips, shaky breaths filled the air, he gasped but could not speak. _How could you?_

Link reached for standing lamp beside him, the metal was cold against his rage-flushed skin. He could feel Rhett’s eyes on him. Angry that Rhett would only look at him when he was looking away. He could see Rhett’s motionless shadow falling around him and across the floor. _Why are you so cold? Why don’t you care?_

Rhett watched Link’s shaking hand, trembling, as he gripped the pole.

Links knuckles turned white as he began to shake the lamp with vicious force, he spun in place and threw it to the ground at Rhett’s feet.

Rhett didn’t move, he made no attempt to dodge the assault.

 _Can’t you even pretend!?_ Link’s anger boiled over. “You’re a piece of shit!” He shouted, finally free from the words that had lodged themselves inside moments ago. All of his emotions exploding from him in an instant.

Rhett winced at Link’s harsh tone, but was silent, and still.

Link shook his head, frustrated. _Say something!_ He brought his hands to his head falling backwards against the nearby wall. He felt tears beginning to trickle over his face.

“Link …” Rhett’s tone was not apologetic, it was angry. It was completely devoid of emotions but his mind was screaming. _Just shut your fucking mouth, shut up!_

Link did not allow him to finish, not after hearing Rhett’s apathetic tone. “Fuck you! How could you!“ Link thundered, as he stormed toward Rhett, his face distorted in anger.

Rhett took a step back into the bathroom, as the tormented man approached him.

Link stopped in the threshold, his limbs began to tremble. He leaned his shoulder against the jamb, fearing that if he had moved away his quivering legs would fail to hold him upright. His eyes poured over Rhett, black with crazy and uncontrolled hatred. _I can’t fucking believe you!_

Link grabbed his hair in his fist, tightening his grip. He slowly looked up, dragging his hands in front of his face. He had his jaw clenched; it trembled, every breath was labored. He looked at Rhett, who was still staring at him as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t just spoken those devastating words. Link fixated on his big green-grey eyes, wishing he could make them warm and loving, feeling like he wanted to tear them away from the owner for being so unrecognizable to him.

Rhett leaned against the far wall. He was outwardly stone-faced, not giving away his inner turmoil, not betraying the emotions flooding his veins.

Link gently sobbed for a while, his eyes burned as they began to run dry. He was not sure how much he had left to give. He stumbled as he tried to put together words that would make sense. Images of his husband with someone else tormented his battered mind. Rhett’s broad hands, the same he had touched moments before, on someone else’s skin, on a stranger’s skin, caressing intimate flesh.

Link wheezed and opened his mouth, shaking his head with a high and painful wail, trying to clear his mind of the painful images. He wished Rhett would take it back, he’d rather be lied to than know of the betrayal. The images flooded back in, pushing past his mental barrier and he blurted out the question he was not ready to know the answer to, the force of his words shocked him. “Who? With who?” He almost screamed, looking fiercely in the other man’s eyes.

Rhett took in full lungs of air before answering the demanding question, knowing Link deserved an answer and that he needed to give it. “I don’t remember her name.” Rhett said quietly, looking back at the sink and taking the towel near it, wiping his face.

Link’s knees buckled, he braced himself between the door frame with his hands. Stuttering sounds and breath fell from his parted lips but his mind was empty, quieted by incomprehensible realizations. He felt like he was being pulled into the depths of his mind, the world falling away, dragged under in a rip current. _Her…?_

Rhett watched Link come undone, his normally confident expression giving way to shocked bewilderment, his brow knitted in pain. His chest was rising and falling more and more quickly with each breath.

“Her?” Link finally said with a gasp. His only thought verbalized, a near whisper escaping from his quivering mouth before the small room fell quiet. Link held his breath.

Rhett didn’t react to the sudden silence, nor respond to Link’s outrage. He simply stepped forward, leaning on the sink, looking again at the center of it, as if waiting for something.

Link grabbed at his shirt in the center of his chest, clasping desperately at the fabric. He could feel his heartbeat, hammering faster and faster. The silence that had dominated the space, like an ebbing tide, calm and flat, gave way to a sudden tidal tidal-wave of rage. “Her?! Fuck…Fuck you! Get the hell out of my house!”

This was the reaction Rhett had expected, he knew that Link would be devastated. He wanted him to feel the pain. He wanted to watch Link lose himself in the agony of betrayal. He knew that Link had never seriously been intimate with a woman, not even when they were younger, and that it bothered him to know that Rhett had been with many before joining Link in their life together.

Link rushed forward, shoving Rhett’s shoulder, trying to force him backward.

Rhett stiffens against Link’s aggressive push, grounding himself and staying firmly in place. He tipped his head to face Link. His features were smooth, but his eyes were like daggers, on fire with seething wrath.“Link-” he tried to say coolly, trying to maintain his composure.

 _Don’t you dare look at me like that after what you did._ Link slapped Rhett hard with the back of his hand.

Rhett barely flinched. The blow only seemed to fuel the fire in his eyes.

A frustrated sound escaped Link’s mouth when he realized his attempt to inflict damage, pain, had been unsuccessful. He held his stinging hand in front of him. His body vibrated, radiating from deep inside, pain and anger manifesting in each trembling muscle. “I want you out!” He hollered. “How could you have fucking cheated on me?” The question came out as a shaky whisper between clenched teeth. He didn’t expect to be answered, it was more a question to himself.

Rhett looked at him; his mouth turning up into smirk as he lowered his gaze, a lopsided smile appeared on his mouth. His tongue poked out and wet his lip before he bit down on the moist flesh.

Link noticed Rhett’s change in expression. The smile was dark, scary, and completely uncharacteristic but, after everything that had transpired between them in the confined space of this bathroom, he almost expected it.

Rhett looked back to Link, his devilish smile slowly vanishing, leaving behind a cold angry mask. A low rumbling sound rattled in the back of his throat before he spoke. “How could I?” Rhett’s voice shook with anger, betraying his strong emotions for the first time. His jaw stiffened, he turned in place and leaned against the counter, his hands at his sides, gripping the edge until his knuckles whitened from the force. “That’s fucking rich, Link.”

Link lost a breath, his eyes widening in sudden realization. He finally understood why Rhett was behaving this way, why the face of the man before him that was normally loving and warm was distorted into a pale and hateful version of itself.

Rhett watched as Link’s face revealed his inner understanding. He shook his head, sighing out a small huff of air. A grimace and slight grin appeared on his face as he watched Link’s guilty expression radiate out from his eyes, overtaking every feature of his reddened face.

Link felt his throat closing. He tried to swallow but he was parched, he choked on his tongue. “I…” He sputtered, his tongue scratched at the roof of his dry mouth. The tension in his body faded, his limbs felt boneless, like his body might collapse onto the floor. He felt his head swirl, a familiar sensation, like he might faint at any moment. Memories of a year earlier began to play themselves in his mind. He wasn’t angry anymore. This was familiar, they’d been here before. _How could I be so stupid?_

Link looked longingly into Rhett’s angry eyes. _Oh, Rhett._ Link wanted to go to him. To wrap his arms around him but, he knew that it was probably the worst thing he could do. Instead, a name stumbled over his tongue. “Jacob…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know many of you were expecting the end of the story here...  
> Instead me and Remembertheradler decided to extend your pain. We are evil, deal with it!  
> As you may have noticed, now RTR is a co-author, cause she finally admit her contribute to the story was so important (I've told you! ahah) and I'm so happy and proud of co-authoring with her in my first story.  
> As usual Kudos and comments are always appreciate <3


	3. “Don’t.”

Rhett’s breathing accelerated at the sound of Link’s voice saying Jacob’s name. He was practically panting. He lifted his hands from the counter and cracked clenched one fist in the other, cracking his knuckles as he clenched his jaw so tight that it sent a stabbing pain through his temples.

Link breathed heavily at the memory, trying to clear it from his mind, for what felt like the millionth time. “No. I didn’t cheat on you Rhett… you broke up with me,” he tried to say, his voice was low and quiet, his jaw was shaking. He could sense these words would not be enough, not this time. He could see the rage in Rhett’s eyes, he was done looking past Link’s transgression.

“Oh just shut up, Link!” Rhett hissed. “I told you before that was all in your head. I never broke up with you.” Rhett slammed his fist into the counter, shaking again his head, his breath was heavy and he held it in his throat. The last of his will staying him, keeping him from exploding.

“I… I thought you were over this,” Link said softly. He held his hand over his mouth, moving away from Rhett, too afraid to look into his eyes, eyes so full of wrath and hurt that he knew would burn a hole right through him. He recoiled, huddling on the other side of the room; he leaned against the wall shaking his head in disbelief. How could I have expected you to just let it go?

“You told me… that you you were over it… It’s been a year, Rhett.” Link looked down at his hands, picking at his nails before looking up at his hunched over husband. “We’re married, for Christ’s sake!” he cried out painfully.

Rhett didn’t respond, his gaze still directed downward, he looked as though he wasn’t even listening anymore, tuned out.

Link felt his anger melding with hurt and guilt that he felt. His eyes stung as he looked at Rhett, his husband, lost and suffering. He imagined the thoughts swimming through Rhett’s mind, awful thoughts, scary and dangerous. Please look at me, talk to me. Link moved to reach for him and saw Rhett shift away.

“Don’t.” Rhett’s voice was low, like a growl in the back of his throat.

“Don’t.” Rhett’s voice was low, like a growl in the back of his throat.

Link’s frustration was building, he wanted to fix this, but was feeling more and more desperate with each passing second. His frustration flowed from his as angry, bitter words. “So, now... what? You’re satisfied? We’re even?” Link said, forcing a maniacal giggle, shrugging his shoulders. He shook his head nervously, looking at his feet, drawing in deep breaths.

“Huh!” Rhett huffed, wrinkling his nose, a fierce grin across his face. He looked up at Link, his eyes wide in disbelief. “We’ll never be even after what you did to me,” he breathed out, narrowing his eyes.

Link pressed his lips together, squinting, trying to hold back the tears he could feel building behind his eyes. But when single drop broke free, falling from his eyes and running down his cheek, he let go, let the sadness overwhelm him. He took of his glasses, shakily fumbling them between his fingers, drying his eyes with his other hand, a small sob escaped his lips before he could speak. “You left me, Rhett. I… I was desperate!”

“And what? That gave you the right…” Rhett’s voice was heavy with rage, his grip on the edge of the sink tightened, whitening his knuckles. “To _fuck_ my friend?” his breath was ragged. His eyes fixed on Link’s teary face.

Link sobbed deeply, shaking his head, one hand gripped firmly in his messy hair, the other clutching his stomach in an attempt to keep himself from falling apart. “I…” he whispered softly. “I was desperate-” 

“Fuck you, Link!” Rhett roared, slamming his hands down onto the counter. The sound bounced off the walls, amplified in the small space, the items on the vanity vibrated, rattling and clanging.

Link inhale sharply, Rhett’s sudden angry outburst frightening him. He arched his eyebrow as he took in the insanely angry look on Rhett’s face.

“Fuck you and your so-called desperation!” Rhett rose, standing upright, turning to Link and pointing at him threateningly with a shaky finger.

Link pressed himself back against the wall, gasping and wincing.

“I went to the pub tonight, with Andy. Do you remember Andy?” Rhett said, swallowing hard, as if the words tasted thick and bitter.

Link whimpered hearing the name, shaking his head. His grip on his glasses faltered and they fell to the ceramic floor, clattering noisily before the room fell silent. Both of his hand now covered his mouth. He knew who Andy was. _No._ Link gritted his teeth, old feelings of jealousy rushing anew in his veins.

Rhett nodded, tapping his foot.

 _Don’t… please… No, Rhett._ Link covered his ears with his hands, like that would help shelter him from his runaway thoughts.

When Rhett was in early twenties, Andy had been his girlfriend, the last girlfriend he had before settling down with Link. The thought of Rhett with her took him back to the years he’d spent longing for the man he thought he could never have, watching Rhett overlook him. He hated that he never had the nerve to tell him, to tell him before Andy, to avoid himself all those years of sorrow and regret.

“And guess who else there? Drunk as fuck and wearing that shit-eating grin?” Rhett began pacing the room, his steps slow and heavy. His jaw was stiff, his hands clenched in a fist.

 _Jacob_ Link swallowed.

Rhett closed his eyes, traveling through his memories until Jacob’s face stared back at him.

~~~~~ * ~~~~~

“Why you little fucking…” Rhett lunged for Jacob, who wore a mocking grin. _I’m going to kill you!_ A couple of people tried to hold him back, their hands wrapped under his arms, Andy’s across his chest.

“What’s the matter, Rhett,” Jacob said, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips. “Don’t want to hear about how Link begged me to fuck him?” He stepped closer to Rhett, toying with him.

Rhett struggled against the hold on him, growling and shaking.

“How he got down on his knees and sucked me dry?” Jacob tilted his chin up, glaring up at Rhett, his eyes were drifting in and out of focus, lost in an alcohol-fueled stupor.

“I swear to God, Jacob… Shut your fucking mouth,” Rhett huffed through clenched jaws.

“May… Maybe I should tell you he said he was…” Jacob hiccuped, “He was happy you left!” Jacob pointed at him, wavering in place.

_Link said that?_

Rhett’s struggling ceased as Jacob’s words settled over him.

“Rhett, don’t listen to him,” Andy spoke softly in his ear. “He’s drunk and trying to get you worked up.”

“You should probably go home…” Jacob slurred. “And make sure _wifey_ isn’t hanging off someone else’s cock right now.” He staggered. “You know how much he likes-”

 _Shut the fuck up!_ Rhett’s rage flooded his veins with adrenaline and he broke free of the hold on him, throwing his fist forward, feeling it connect.

~~~~~ * ~~~~~

Rhett winced at the memory, cupping his tattered fist in his hand.

Link noted the small bruise on Rhett’s left hand, a reddening on the knuckles. He immediately understood what had happened. He tried to move away from the wall, to go to his broken and battered husband, take his hand in his own. He wanted to be sure Rhett wasn’t hurt, but Rhett yelled, keeping him from acting on his plan to console and comfort.

“God!” Rhett hollered, covering his eyes with his wide palm.

Link pressed his back into the wall, wishing he could become one with it, disappear from this painful moment, be free of it.

Rhett yelled again, stopping in the middle of the room, his memories clawing at him deep in his chest, ripping at his heart. He brought his hands to his hair, clutching it roughly between his fingers, his nails dragging into his scalp, leaving it stinging and burning as he clenched his fists. “He told me so many things, Link,” he said, his eyes closed. “Things you never told me about that night.”

Link breathed deeply closing his eyes and shaking his head, cradling himself. _Don’t…_

“Like how you begged him to fuck you,” Rhett hissed.

_No…_

“And what a great cocksucker you are!” Rhett words were sharp, his hateful gaze fixed on his Link’s grimacing face.

Link could feel the hate in Rhett’s eyes, like his gaze was searing skin. He shook his head quickly, the tears he’d shed still fresh on his cheeks. His body began to shudder with panic, the desperate feeling overtook every other emotion. _I don’t want to remember._ “Rhett, please... sto-”

“Did you say you were glad I left you?” Rhett asked, his voice low and even. 

_Rhett.. Please… don’t._

“Because, he looked so fucking serious when he threw that in my face!” Rhett rushed forward, now standing only a few steps from Link. All his facial features were tense, his voice elevated, almost broken.

His words still boomed in Link’s ears. He sobbed letting himself slowly slide down the pale tiled wall, tears flooding his eyes, a sequence of small weeps sounding from the back of his throat. His shoulders shrugged with the force of his uncontrolled sobs; he couldn’t speak but mouthed ‘no’, over and over as his body collapsed further into the floor.

Rhett turned away with an annoyed hiss. _I fucking knew it._

Link watched as Rhett paced the bathroom, as he kicked in the door of the vanity cabinet. He tried to calm his breathing, to stop his convulsive sobbing. “You… You’ve...” Link tried to speak, but his words were still commingled with breathy half-sobs. He didn’t even need Rhett to respond to the question he was trying to ask, he knew the answer. _You slept with Andy._ He looked up to see Rhett staring down at him.

Rhett took in Link’s broken form, wet with tears and shaking, cowering on the floor at his feet. Rhett’s eyebrows knitted on his forehead, guilt flooded him and he turned away, staring down into the dark drain of the sink once more. He bent down, resting his elbows on the vanity and shoving the heels of his hands into his eyes, seeing stars as he pressed more firmly.

Link sobbed, his heart was racing, he could feel every single beat of his heart hammering through his veins. He shrunk back against the wall, pulling his knees to his chest, squeezing out a small cry. _Is it over? Tell me it’s not over…_

Rhett pulled his hands from his eyes, letting them hang in the basin of the sink as he rested his forehead on the counter.

Link searched for his husband’s eyes, trying to see the emotions they may hold. But Rhett’s head still lay between his elbows. Link could see his back slowly rising and falling with each of his loud trembling breaths. Link inhaled deeply, gritting his teeth behind his wavering lips; he tried to speak but his voice couldn’t seem to break free. _I can’t live without you… Stay with me._ Link felt like his lungs burn and his watched his vision blur as he imagined his life without Rhett. _Just forget everything… Don’t leave me._

Rhett broke the silence between them. “I didn’t break up with you…” Rhett said, his voice was quiet and forlorn. He looked up into the mirror at Link’s crouched body reflected in the glass surface. _I would never have done that… How could you think I could?_ He squinted back the tears that welled in his eyes, the rage slowly leaving his body, replaced by an unfamiliar mixture of confusing and terrifying emotions.

Link’s limbs began to tremble as he recalled the last night he felt like his life with Rhett was over.

Rhett spoke into the bowl of the sink, it muffled his words. “I just needed time, time to think… and you….” He spoke his last words slowly and with purpose. “You… slept with someone else.”

 _I am so sorry… I wish I could go back._ Link stood up, uncertain his unsteady legs could hold his weight.

Rhett chewed his lower lip, wrinkling his nose. With his face turned away from Link, he found the courage to shoulder some of the blame for the pain that now hung heavy in the air, to realize how broken Link was. How broken they both were. _Fuck…_

Link stared down at his feet, his knees were trembling.

Rhett wished he could feel the numbness again, the disconnected emotions that had allowed him to be with Andy, to kiss her. He would never have been able to stop her confused attempts to reason with him, to convince her that it was alright, if he had felt the way that he did now mere hours ago. Wracked with guilt and as broken as he felt in this moment, he could have never lowered her to the seat, undressed her, buried his sorrows in her familiar skin. _Who the hell was I?_ He felt Link approaching and swallowed, pursing his lips. _Don't._

Link moved to stand behind Rhett with two slow, soft steps. His glasses still sat on the floor near the wall, he didn’t need them to see the pain he had caused. He reached out, resting the tips of his fingers on Rhett’s shoulder blade.

Rhett turned to face him, resting against the sink. His lower lip trembled as he stared down into Link’s wide blue eyes, the whites of them reddened from the tears still trickling down his cheeks. He looked down at Link’s outstretched hand. _Don’t...I don’t deserve you._ He shook his head lightly, pushing Link’s hand away and drawing in a long, staggered breath.

Link looked down at Rhett’s quivering hands. He reached up and wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand, drawing air through his nose, sniffling. He stood motionless for a moment before his body finally felt capable of speech. Though his voice was still raspy and ragged. “What now?” he asked tentatively. 

Rhett sighed, shaking his head, staring down at the floor between them. _I can’t be the one to decide that._ He moved to cross his arms, but Link captured his wrists in his hands.

Link tilted his head trying to force Rhett to look at him. “We can talk… we can… we can try-”

“There’s nothing to try,” Rhett interrupted, his voice was a shadow of itself, as if spoken with the last remnants of the air in his lungs. _I won’t let you throw yourself away with me._

They stood, looking at each other, guilt painted across their tired faces. Silent acknowledgement of shared responsibility.

Link took a hesitant step forward, giving Rhett time to respond, time to push him away if it wasn’t what he wanted.

Rhett didn’t step away as Link approached him; he stood motionless, his intense gaze still fixed on his husband’s eyes.

 _We can try again… I want to try again._ He lifted a shaky hand, slowly reaching out to place it on Rhett’s chest.

Rhett winced at the soft heat of Link’s palm; he shook his head, gripping Link’s wrist, breathing out a soft and almost soundless 'no’.

Link squinted as he clasped his hand around the one encircling his wrist. He leaned forward, his chest now mere inches from Rhett’s, his pleading eyes staring up into Rhett’s sorrowful ones, able, for the first time that night, to clearly see the beautifully familiar green hue. _There you are._ The corner of Link’s mouth lifted a into a hint of a smile.

Rhett’s gaze dropped to Link’s lips. “Link… I-”

 _Stop talking._ Link brought his mouth roughly to Rhett’s. He tasted the soft skin of Rhett’s plump lower lip, smelling for just a second his familiar breath before their mouths closed over one another’s. The contact lasted just for a second before Rhett caught the fabric of his shirt, grazing over his collarbones as he grasped the fabric, pushing him away. 

“Link... No...” Rhett voice was a whisper, his heart pounded in his chest, the feeling of Link’s mouth on his lingered. Rhett shook link gently in his hands, dropping his forehead and resting on Link’s before pushing him away.

Link whined pushing back against Rhett’s grip, reaching around Rhett, encircling his chest, burying his face in Rhett’s cotton undershirt. He feared he might smell Andy, an unfamiliar and unwelcomed reminder of why he was struggling in his husband’s arms. But he smelled only Rhett, felt only Rhett. _Mine._ “We can…” he breathed out, his hands slowly traveling to the small of Rhett’s back, gripping at the cloth there. “Try.”

Rhett’s hands hesitated, shifting to Link’s shoulders.

Link could feel Rhett’s fingers pressing into his skin, unsure if it was a sign of Rhett’s resignation to his touch, or one of an outburst roiling below the surface.

Rhett dipped his head, resting his forehead against Link’s broad shoulder.

“You are wounded…” Link pressed a kiss into Rhett’s neck. “Confused…uhm.” He peppered Rhett’s heated skin with the warmth of his mouth. Link could feel the last of Rhett’s resolve melting away, his futile attempt to put a stop to Link’s loving touch fading with it.

Rhett moaned softly, placing his hand on the back of Link’s head, gripping his hair, pulling him back, forcing him to look up. Rhett leaned forward, looking down at Link’s perfect lips. _Fuck it._ He kissed Link passionately, his mouth fervent and eager. He cupped Link’s jaw, needing more contact, wanting to touch him.

Link sighed into the kiss, his tongue exploring Rhett’s mouth, tumbling over Rhett’s, his body giving in, yielding to Rhett’s touch, his body eager to forgive. _I need this._ He gripped the hem of Rhett’s tank top, peeling it free, needing to feel Rhett’s skin against his. Link rested his hands on Rhett’s abdomen, pushing the palms against the skin, splaying his fingers wide. _I need you._

Rhett muttered soft expletives and parts of words into Link’s slack mouth. _I love you._ He caressed the expanse of Link’s back with both hands, ruffling his shirt with every touch. One hand wandered behind his lean neck, grasping hard at the hot skin there. He felt Link’s mouth turn up into a smile, exposing his sharp canines.

Link nipped at Rhett’s lip before biting down, dragging his teeth over the moist skin of Rhett’s mouth. He dropped his exploring hands to Rhett’s waist, teasing him with the tips of his fingers, tracing the skin just above the top of his jeans. He traced his fingers between Rhett’s navel and belt buckle, curling and playing with the curly blonde hairs he found.

“Link...” Rhett gulped, as his husband’s hands expertly unclasped his belt, and unbutton his pants, shoving them down over his thighs with a single move.

Link nuzzled into Rhett’s beard with a deep breath, his hand cupping the bulge in Rhett’s underwear. He fought with the elastic waistband, tugging, trying to yank it down. To remove the only remaining barrier.

Rhett groaned, his hands joining Link’s, aiding in the attempt, frantically fumbling with the material until sat atop his pants around his knees.

Link gasped when he felt Rhett’s hands gripping his wrists, preventing him from touching the flesh they had just freed. He looked up at Rhett, his eyes needy and lustful, arousal clearly visible.

Link’s eyes darted over Rhett’s features, his own desire was mirrored in the flush of Rhett’s cheeks, in his dilated pupils, in the pulsing artery under his chin.

 _I don’t care anymore… I need this._ Rhett turned him around making him face the mirror, quickly inverting their positions. 

Link inhaled swiftly leaning forward and gripping at the sink’s edges. He looked up, his gaze focused on Rhett’s reflection behind him. _Take me._ Link examined the image of his husband more closely. Rhett’s body was leaning over him, the pads of his fingers were pressed firmly into the soft skin of Link’s narrow waist, his eyes were closed.

Rhett pressed his face into the crook of Link’s neck.

Link felt Rhett’s clenched teeth grazing the skin at the back of his neck, his heavy breathing heating his skin, sending shivers along the length of his spine.

Rhett looked up, meeting his own eyes in the reflective glass. His eyes were narrowed into slit, his mouth hung open, his breathing had become desperate pants.

Link noticed how Rhett’s needy eyes traveled over his mirrored skin. _I’m yours._ He lifted his hips, pressing back into Rhett, reveling in the sight of Rhett’s eyes rolling back in his head.

“Fuc…” Rhett groaned, his vision blurring. His right hand traveled from Link’s waist, slowly creeping along his back, under his shirt.

Link let himself lost a breath and groaned for the intensity of the gaze. He ground his hips into Rhett’s, an instinctive gesture, one he knew Rhett loved.

Rhett’s breath rattled in his lungs, his body shaking, his grip intensifying. _Do you know what you are doing?_ His hold loosened and he brought hands around Link’s belly, his movements painfully slow; he reached for the sliver of Link’s boxer briefs that peaked out from the waist of his jeans.

Link could see the questioning look in Rhett’s eyes, the final strands of his willpower fading as his eyes filled with need, a silent plea for consent. _Like you need my permission._ Link subtly nodded, feeling warmed by the familiar intimacy. He eagerly gripped at the edges of the counter, so hard his knuckles turned white and his fingers ached.

Rhett hastily unbuttoned Link’s pants, yanking them them down with his briefs, not bothering to look for Link’s reaction in the mirror. He knew what he would see in Link’s eyes, lust, wanting, and passion.

Link whimpered when he felt Rhett’s cock slowly grinding against his bare cheeks. He closed his eyes incapable of holding them open any longer. He arched his back, lifting his ass.

Rhett grinned at the familiar gesture, he rocked against Link, sliding himself between Link’s round cheeks. He gripped at Link’s hip bones, knowing that the feeling of his grasp drove Link crazy, that it would cause the writhing man beneath him to moan, and he did just that.

”Rhett…” Link purred softly, pushing himself back against Rhett’s cock.

Rhett began circling his hips, moving slowly, methodically. _I can still make you moan._ His right hand lifted from Link’s hip. He watched as Link’s eyes darted up at him, his complaint evident in his knitted eyebrows.

Link’s eyes widened and his mouth fell slack as he breathed out a small whine, as he watched Rhett bringing his hand at his mouth, slipping his first three between his lips, his eyes burning every inch of skin they poured over. Link pulled his lower lip into his mouth as Rhett’s tongue glided over the end of each finger. _Please… Yes._

Rhett pushed Link’s shirt up his back before his hand settled back on his hip. “Look at you…” Rhett muttered, staring down the length of Link’s spine, savoring the sight of the dimples at its base.

Link kept his eyes on the reflection of his husband, incapable of looking anywhere else. He loved how needy and lustful Rhett’s gaze was, more desperate than he ever seen it before. He felt Rhett’s body pull away from him. He watched the reflection of Rhett’s hand reaching for his cleft. His vision blurred when he felt wet fingers circling his hole. He breathed Rhett’s name, closing his eyes and tossing back his head.

Rhett leaned forward, plunging his face in the other’s man hair, breathing in Link’s scent. He was so aroused he couldn’t speak, couldn’t think; the only sounds managed to escape his mouth were deep growls, muffled by Link’s black locks. _I need you..._ He suddenly pushed two fingers inside Link, knowing that his spit wasn’t enough to prevent it from stinging, from burning. _And you need me._

Link frowned, letting out a plaintive moan, feeling a sudden weakness in his knees; he looked up at Rhett, his eyes were narrowed and lustful. Link bit his lower lip, hard enough that he thought he might taste blood, the burning sensation surrounding Rhett’s probing fingers fading from his trembling body. He began to slowly thrust against Rhett’s hand, cocking his hip slightly to one side, the adjusted position allowing Rhett’s finger to drive into the right spot. _Just like that._ Link’s mouth turned up into a lopsided grin. _Take what you need… give it to me._

Rhett reached down, taking his throbbing erection in his hand, whimpering as he looked at Link’s lustful and expectant expression in the mirror. The sweet noises Link made only spurred him on; he stroked himself slowly, knowing that anymore might bring him dangerously close to the edge, the man wriggling beneath him had him playing with fire. He lowered his head kissing the hot skin of Link’s exposed back, pressing his lips firmly between the points of Link’s shoulder blades as he slipped in a third finger.

Link closed his eyes tightly before opening them slowly, taking in the image of Rhett behind him, avoiding his own features, knowing that seeing them might cause him to lose his nerve, to remember all of the painful things he was trying so hard to forget.

Rhett slowed the thrusting of his fingers before drawing them out of Link.

Link moaned in protest of the lost sensation. His eyes met Rhett’s and he recognized the familiar expression, one of aggression and lust. He steadied himself on his feet, clasping desperately to the edges of the vanity. _Please…fuck me._

Rhett reached around Link, wrapping his forearm over Link’s shoulder, drawing him closer, close enough to bring their bodies together, bring his mouth to Link’s ear. _I’m going to have you._ He dragged his teeth over Link’s earlobe, breathing into the shell of his ear.

Link’s cock twitched with urgency as he felt Rhett’s hardened member press against his hole. His eyelids quivered and his pulse hammered in his ears.

Rhett hesitated, knowing that his intrusion would hurt Link. _I thought I wanted to hurt you._. He grimaced as he starting to push himself inside. _I’m sorry that I ever did… that I am now, but I need this._ He felt Link began to tremble, watching him clench his teeth trying to keep himself from screaming. He tightened his hold around Link’s shoulders, throwing himself further inside.

Link tipped his head back against Rhett’s chest, clenching his eyes closed. He bit down on his lower lip, trying to muffle the sounds he trapped in his mouth, but the pain was too much, his trembling lips fell open and a cry escaped. His body ached, wanting him to flee, but he felt Rhett’s kisses caressing his jaw. The soft and tender touch calmed his body and breathing steadied. He opened his eyes and was confronted by Rhett’s watering eyes, full of concern and fear, regret and apology.

 _I’m so sorry._ Rhett pressed his cheek to Link’s.

Link knew that Rhett’s silent apology wasn’t only for the physical pain he was causing now, but for everything, for every wrong. _Don’t._ “I deserved it…” Link managed to say with a heavy breath.

Rhett buried his face, hiding himself from Link’s knowing gaze. “No, you don’t....” he whispered, loosening his aggressive hold.

As the pain began to fade, Link longed for its return. Each bruising grasp, each burning thrust, had felt like it was healing the wound that he had caused, the one he thought had healed, the one Rhett had torn into tonight, causing it to bleed anew. Link stared at himself in the mirror for the first time. _You did this._ He tipped his head away, away from his own reflection and from Rhett’s nuzzling face. He pressed his bared teeth into his shoulder, wanting to feel pain, needing to feel it. _I need it hurt… it is the only thing that can fix this._ When he pulled his mouth away, looking back at his reflection he felt his heart aching in his chest. _It’ll never gone._

_This wasn’t the answer._ Rhett rocked forward, pushing into Link, letting his arm fall away from Link’s chest, coming to rest limply on his waist. _Punishing you by being with her…_ Rhett’s mind was screaming, every part of him regretted what he had done, knowing that it had changed things. He hated himself as he came to the realization that, what had felt like a cathartic release, had irreparably damaged what they had only just managed to patch together. A relationship full of love, but one precariously perched on the precipice of disaster.

Link’s body lay splayed over the the counter and grunted as Rhett’s shallow thrusts jarred him forward, over and over. He let his head fall forward into the basin of the sink. He knew that his childish attitude had started all this, that he’d overreacted, that he’d failed Rhett when he’d given himself to another man. Rhett had finally answered back. _I knew this day would come._ He wanted to forget everything , the only thing he wanted now was to live in Rhett’s loving eyes, to see his soft smile, nothing else mattered. In that moment Link wanted to forgive, he wanted solace, to forget and forgive. His was giving Rhett his body, ready to love, eagerly and completely but, his mind betrayed him, screaming, protesting, telling him it wouldn’t be enough. _Is it over?_ Link sobbed once before pulling his chest tight and holding his breath.

Rhett peered at Link, his eyes darkened beneath his brows. He was lost in guilt; his heart felt like it was ripping apart inside of him. _How could I have done this to you?_ He wasn’t this man. _To us?_ In a moment of weakness, a moment where he stepped outside of his character, his anger and jealousy took over. He never knew himself to be capable of such jealousy. Only Link had ever made him feel that way, like a person he didn’t recognize. Even in those moments, seeing someone appreciate Link, their eyes lingering too long, he’d been able to control the darkness he felt inside. Tonight, the darkness had won, gaining the upper hand, pulling him into the blackness he was left trying to crawl out of, clawing desperately to reach the light just out of his reach. _I wish I could have been stronger for you._

Link reached up, placing his hand on the back of Rhett’s neck, dragging his fingers through the hair at the nape, caressing the soft, blond locks. He could feel the tension beneath his fingers, he wanted to stop the self-destructive thoughts that he knew were running through Rhett’s overly analytical mind. _Don’t… just forget._ He looked up, seeking Rhett’s eyes.

Rhett purred at familiar, loving contact. It pulled him gently back to reality, for a moment, freeing him from his bleak thoughts. He raised his head, meeting Link’s stunning, wanting eyes.

 _I want you to make me forget._ Link threw his hips back with abandon, the burning pain returning as his movement forced Rhett inside, their hips now fit snugly together.

Rhett stiffened, looking questioningly at Link, a part of his soul escaping in the tears that flooded his eyes when he saw the steady streams running over the planes of Link’s delicate features. “Link… I don’t want to hurt y-”

Link shook his head, closing his eyes. _I don’t care..._ He tipped his head back, his eyes blowing open. “I want you to.” He bit his lip, breathing out a small whine _...hurt me, Rhett._

Rhett growled, pulling out and driving himself back inside, even deeper than before. He felt like he was losing control, unable to resist Link’s pleading eyes, eyes begging him to be ruthless. _I’ll give you what you want._ He dug his fingers roughly into Link’s hips, listening to the high moan that escaped Link’s hung open mouth, reveling in the feeling of Link’s desperate clawing in his hair becoming more decisive.

Link shut his eyes, moaning with every thrust, tossing his head back and trying to steady his slipping feet. He could feel his peak slowly grow in his belly. His mind was a mess, humming with passion and desire; he could barely hear the low groans coming from behind him. “Rhett…” Link sighed, leaning backward, needing to feel Rhett’s breath on his neck, trying to smell Rhett’s scent. _I want you so bad._

Rhett leaned in, licking at Link’s earlobe, nipping. “Link, look at you,” he growled, staring sideways at Link’s lascivious expression, watching his cheeks flush in embarrassment. “You’re so hot.” Rhett wanted to believe in the lopsided smile that appeared on Link’s face, to trust that it was genuine. But it didn’t reach his eyes, it was a false, pale version of the playful and sweet expression it attempted to mimicked.

Link’s brow furrowed as he stared into his own lustful eyes in the mirror. Seeing Rhett moving against him, and the look in his own eyes set his skin alight, turning him on more than he thought possible when his mind plagued him with his uncertain future. His erection twitched, pressing into the hard edge of the sink. He hadn’t been touched and yet he was on the brink, close to finding release. His breath hitched, catching with each intake. “Rhett-”

“I know,” Rhett whispered, interrupting him through gritted teeth. He could feel Link squeezing him, his muscles contracting. He dipped his head, burying it in Link’s dark hair, growling and moaning in time with Link’s panting. Rhett felt his own orgasm building, as he often did when Link’s body convulsed in pleasure. He clasped Link’s shoulder with a needy hand while the other traveled down Link’s belly, pulling him away from the counter enough to slip his palm around Link’s throbbing, dripping erection, sliding over it, pumping his writhing lover.

Link’s body gave in, Rhett’s touch pushing him over the edge. He felt himself spill over Rhett’s deft fingers. “Oh, God!” Link cried out, sobbing as his knees gave way. His body buzzed with the intensity of his orgasm, the lights above the mirror shifted in colour the edges blurring and glimmering.

Rhett frowned, opening his mouth in Link’s hair, unable to stave off his own climax listening to the sounds Link made as his body quaked with the afterglow of his release. Rhett growled as he threw his head back, coming inside of Link, filling him. He collapsed, leaning forward holding on the sink with an hand, clasping around Link’s hips with the other, keeping Link’s body from collapsing under him.

The room fell quiet for what seemed like eternity, only their laboured breathing filled it, the pitch and pace leveling as the moments passed.

The fluorescent ceiling light flicked. Dim morning light filtered in through the window, peeking over the trees. The room once awash in a sterile blue, began to glow with orange hues. Their sweating half clothed bodies were still intertwined in a desperate embrace.

Link squinted, blinking the blur from his eyes, trying to focus on Rhett who was still hidden in his dark hair.

Rhett let out a small huff of air left his lungs, the warm air washing over Link’s sweat-dampened hair as he slipped out of him. In the wake of his pleasure he was confronted with the devastating reality of his feelings. He’d hope to feel healed, in love with no lingering anguish, even though he knew that those were unattainable expectations. _We wrecked this._ He began to feel that what they had just done may have stolen away any chance they’d had left.

 _Rhett…_ Link parted his lips, wanting to speak, but unable. He swallowed slowly, his afterglow fading as his body began to ache, protesting the abuse it had just endured. He winced as he looked to Rhett once more, in search of solace, anything to give him hope as impending dread took the place of the pleasure that had faded away. Where he’d hoped to find reassurance and love, he saw jealousy, pain, and begrudging eyes. His lips trembled in realization. _This changed nothing._ He felt like he was falling into nothingness. Everything he held dear was slipping through his fingers even though it still clung to his back.

Hidden in the crook of Link's neck, Rhett stopped breathing. He clenched his eyes closed, wishing that it might change what he knew it wouldn’t, cursing himself for what he’d done. Everywhere that his skin touched Link’s, felt like it was burning, like the touch was poison. _I shouldn’t have this._ Every sensation felt askew, off kilter, like he’d taken a step outside of reality. _If you hadn’t… If I hadn’t..._ He wished he could vanish in that moment, disappear, travel back in time, right the wrongs.

Link frowned, reaching out and covering Rhett’s hand with his own, his fingertips squeezing. He wanted Rhett to look at him; he wanted to see his eyes, read his features, discern his feelings, praying they wouldn’t mirror his own. He felt sick, the air in the room felt heavy, even the morning sunshine painting the walls seemed unpleasant and unwelcome. He cringed as he felt Rhett’s come running down his thigh. He wanted it to feel right, but everything felt so wrong. He shook his head. _I just need you to tell me..._ He pushed his fingers between Rhett’s, pressing his weight down on their intertwined hands. _Tell me you still love me and maybe we can survive this._ Link wanted to scream but he held himself together.

Rhett looked at Link, his eyebrows arched, sure that his expression was a clear manifestation of the suffering he felt. His mouth was slightly agape, his breathing was slow and anxious. He pressed his lips into a thin line, running through his thoughts, trying to decide what to say, what to do. _I can’t do this._ With every fiber that made up his being, he wanted to leave, to run, to escape what he knew it all meant. _We can’t do this._ He looked away, shaking his hand free of Link’s and stepping away.

Link reached for Rhett like he was reaching for the last strands of any hope they had.

Rhett felt Link’s fingers ghost over his skin as he moved away. “I love you,” he muttered, _but..._ He’d tried to pretend that he hadn’t seen it before, that the acidic poison of deceit and betrayal he’d felt when Link gave himself to another hadn’t eaten away at him, hadn’t dissolved the very foundation of their relationship, hadn’t driven him to destroy what remained, knocking down the last supporting pillar. His love for Link was still there, but it was shrouded from him by the cloaking blackness of jealousy, mistrust, guilt, and shame. A love forever tarnished by a stain that he was sure could never be rubbed away, impossible to erase. _I can’t do this anymore._

Link let his hand fall limply to his side. Rhett’s words slashed through him, the truth of them irrelevant. There was a finality in the moment they were sharing. Love would not be enough. _This is it._ He needed Rhett like oxygen, without him Link feared he might be suffocated by the emptiness of the world, by the pain of a love lost to two wrongs. “I love you too,” he replied, his voice a mere whisper. _But, it’s not enough._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could say something positive to lighten the tone here, but I would feel guilty...because of you, reader. You that arrived here full of pain for that ending, and now probably hate me. To you, I want to tell that I too am broken. I'm sad, but at the same time so, so proud of it.
> 
> This is my baby, my first one, my painful and angsty creation, delivered to life... to you.
> 
> I hope you'll see past the pain, over the fact that this is just a fic, to see the meaning and purpose of the pain, that it isn't just for the ‘fun’ of it. I hope you'll see what I see here…
> 
> I want to thank so much RTR for being with me in all this. At the beginning, this was a 16 page confused draft that she’s been able to elevate to what it is now, and again, I'm so proud of us.
> 
> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Valve<3
> 
> ~ * ~
> 
> I will not add much here. I just want to say that it has been both a pleasure and absolute and total torture writing this fic.
> 
> I am so proud of Valve for the amazing story that she has crafted and feel incredibly grateful that she allowed me into her world.
> 
> To all of you readers, thank you so much. I know this has not been an easy journey, just know that I love you, that we love you, and that this is only fiction.
> 
> Much love!
> 
> RTR <3
> 
>  **Suggested Listening:**  
> [Damien Rice - I Remember](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yKk-3TD7tk)  
> [Fields - In The Morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7l2GsNZO_o)
> 
>  **Fanart for this Story:**  
>  By: [@marven-gm](http://remembertherandler.tumblr.com/post/148317117280/valvenaut-marven-gm-the-thread-may)  
> By: [@remembertherandler](http://remembertherandler.tumblr.com/post/146358730430/for-my-sweet-peanut-valvenaut-two-wrongs)


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